Lottery games are currently in use in many states and countries and are administered by a lottery sponsor which is affiliated with those entities. Typically, the lottery games include smaller payoff games such as PICK 3 and PICK 4 as well as large jackpot games commonly called LOTTO and POWERBALL. Current jackpot games include matching six or seven numbers selected from a set of 40 or 50 or more against numbers drawn in a weekly or biweekly drawing, while the PICK 3 and PICK 4 games involve a selection of 3 and 4 numbers respectively from a group of usually 10 and matching those numbers against daily drawings held by the lottery sponsor.
In an effort to add to the excitement of jackpot games, a daily version of the lotto game was developed as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,221 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,049. The game described in these patents includes multiple ways to win by matching numbers on the ticket both vertically and horizontally from a daily single digit drawing and a single play is over a seven day time span. In these patents, seven games are in process each day, with a single winning number drawn daily for each of the seven games. Since one number is drawn each day, it takes from seven days (single play) to thirteen days (seven plays) to draw the winning numbers. The numbered balls in the drawing equipment are not reloaded in their respective drawing machines until after the seventh ball has been drawn. This process and procedure requires special drawing equipment and requires players to select seven different numbers. This is cumbersome and costly to the lottery sponsor, and may be confusing to the players, in view of some lotteries currently drawing 42 numbers involving up to six lottery products.
In the game and method of play described herein, all seven winning numbers are drawn by the lottery sponsor each day, and winning tickets are determined on a daily basis. Also, the restriction for the player to select different numbers is eliminated; no specialized drawing equipment is required; and operation is simplified.
In view of the foregoing, it can be seen that there is a need for a new lotto type game which can provide the excitement of lottomania on a daily basis and yet employ the same basic infrastructure of the PICK 3 and PICK 4 games, without adding complexity, cost and/or confusion with current games, drawings and procedures.